How Mobile Devices and Apps are Transforming Classroom Education

The education system in all countries around the world is evolving. As technology continues to developed and institutions look to capitalize on it, apps are now emerging to create a virtual mobile classroom.

New approaches are being adopted by innovative educators to engage the current generation of learners who expect more media, interactivity and freedom to learn from anywhere and not just inside the classroom. Some of the new approaches include flipped classrooms,virtual field trips, virtual desktops, distance learning through telepresence, Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) trend capitalized by Wi-Fi etc.

Educators would agree that technology has drastically changed the teaching and learning process. Blogs, apps, videos and even games are all powerful educational tools that are engaging students, assisting teachers and transforming classrooms. Integrating technology into a classroom i.e., “virtual” learning, is all about innovation, greater engagement and interactive learning.

The Change in Today’s Classrooms

Textbooks are no longer limited to merely text and pictures. Today’s textbooks often include web-based content like assessments, animation, additional references, videos, and other material to support the learning of new content. The need for note taking is almost eliminated. e-books are becoming more popular in schools with the increased usage of e-readers and tablet computers.

As more people network through the web, technology has extended the classroom beyond the walls of the building. Teachers and students can use this platform to discuss homework, post assignments and interact with peers as they work on projects. So much of our research and learning is now web-based; what used to take hours in the library to find is now located instantaneously in a few clicks.

Mobile Devices and Apps in Classrooms

In many ways technology is transforming the process of learning. The world is increasingly going mobile: mobile devices (phones, smartphones, laptops and tablet devices) and apps (a software  designed to run on smartphones, tablet computers and other mobile devices) are transforming classrooms. Apps are such adaptable and powerful tools for teaching and learning. There are also many apps which cater to the needs of special children, especially those on the autism spectrum.

Mobile learning engages students and promotes anywhere, anytime learning. m-learning is without doubt capturing the students’ imagination and attention to a greater extent than the traditional learning methods and improving their confidence.

Merits

There are many advantages of using mobile devices and apps in the classroom. It allows for increased speed and ease of note-taking. It enables students to organize notes and materials more effectively and facilitates engagement with online content relevant to the course. It can increase student/staff interaction through dialog and feedback and promotes participation in classrooms.

Mobiles and tablets have also been observed to offer a more comfortable posture to students than notebooks. They enable quick research on topics in classrooms and provide the motivation to learn more and opportunities for quick problem-solving. Group work among a small number of people is enabled, encouraging evaluative discussions on resources shared. Students can readily generate reports or presentations for assessment and computer literacy for lifelong learning is also improved.

While using mobile devices and apps in classrooms, proper Wi-Fi connectivity should be ensured. There is a general belief that a mobile device can provide distraction to students but in practicality, it is not the device that causes the problem but its usage.

The video and mobile technology that students use in their personal lives is transforming the learning experience too. Learning through mobile devices and apps is an exciting experience for everyone. Virtual mobile classrooms have redefined the traditional systems of learning and set educational trends that will remain unparalleled for long.

Brain Taylor is the VP, Business Development at Forix Mobile. Forix specializes in developing mobile apps for iOS and Android platforms and have recently started serving clients with their initiatives in mobile app development Denver.

About Jakk: Jakk Ogden is a professional self-employed blogger and the founder / owner of Technology Blogged. 22, with a love for good writing, you'll find me playing 'Drag Racing' on my HTC One X and rocking a pair of Grado headphones. If you love technology, be sure to subscribe to my feed for unique editorials. Find me on Google+. View author profile.